What is the word of Christ in Colossians 3:16?

Answer

The apostle Paul emphasizes the person and work of Jesus Christ in his letter to the Colossians. Concluding a section of teaching focused on maintaining a holy lifestyle and fostering unity within the church (Colossians 3:12-17), Paul encourages believers to “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (verse 15, ESV) and “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (verse 16, ESV).

In this passage, Paul introduces the unique phrase “word of Christ” (it is found only here) instead of his previous use of “word of God” as seen in Colossians 1:25. Bible scholars are divided into three groups regarding the interpretation of “word of Christ” in Colossians 3:16. Some, like Warren Wiersbe, interpret the phrase to mean the Word of God: “The Word will transform our lives if we allow it to ‘dwell’ in us richly. The word ‘dwell’ means ‘to feel at home.’ If we have experienced the grace and peace of Christ, then the Word of Christ will feel at home in our hearts. We will discover how rich the Word is with spiritual treasures that give value to our lives” (The Bible Exposition Commentary, Vol. 2, Victor Books, 1996, p. 139–140).

Others believe that “word of Christ” refers to the actual words spoken by Jesus Christ—His teachings and messages that originated from His mouth or were conveyed by the Spirit of Christ. A third group suggests that “word of Christ” signifies the message about Jesus Christ—“the word of the truth, the gospel” (Colossians 1:5;Ephesians 1:13 ESV), “the message of the gospel” «And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them,Men and brethren, you know that a considerable time ago, God selected among us so that the Gentiles could hear the gospel through me and believe. », (Acts 15:7), or “the word of the Lord” (see 1 Thessalonians 1:8;2 Thessalonians 3:1;Acts 8:25;ESV).

None of these explanations contradict each other. The words spoken by Jesus, God the Son, were given to Him by God the Father. Jesus informed His disciples, “And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me” «He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. », (John 14:24, NLT). Jesus and the Father are one (John 10:30;John 17:11); hence, the word of Christ is the Word of God. Similarly, the gospel message is the Word of God (Mark 1:14;1 Peter 1:25).

In an earlier part of his greeting, Paul affirmed that “the word of the truth” or “the gospel,” which the Colossians had embraced, was “bearing fruit and increasing” since the day they first heard and understood “the grace of God in truth” (Colossians 1:5-6;ESV). Holiness and unity, both individually and in the body of Christ, are nurtured when we allow the word of Christ to dwell in us—when we provide ample, comfortable space in our hearts and lives for the truth of God’s Word through teachings and Bible study, counseling one another with its wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs «Let the word of Christ dwellInstructing you richly in all wisdom; teaching and advising one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” , (Colossians 3:16), and reflecting on it day and night (Psalm 1:1-2).

Another perspective to comprehend the message of Christ is as the entirety of Christian doctrine, or the gospel in its widest sense as proclaimed by Jesus Christ and the Spirit of Christ. Paul clarified, “I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin” (Galatians 1:11;see also Hebrews 2:3;1 Corinthians 7:10). The gospel Paul preached was the message of Christ conveyed by the Spirit of Christ.

God’s Word is intended to saturate our lives so deeply that it establishes permanent residence. This enduring filling is facilitated by the indwelling Holy Spirit, who recalls everything Jesus said and did (John 14:26;John 16:13). As we allow the message of Christ to dwell in us abundantly and are filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18-20), we become living representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ for God’s glory in all that we say and do (see Colossians 3:17,23;1 Corinthians 10:31;Romans 8:11;2 Corinthians 6:16). The life of a born-again believer, fully surrendered to God and inhabited by Christ, “will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God . . . and that word is the Good News that was preached to you” 1 Peter 1:23-25 (NLT).